Troops Kill 21 Enemy Fighters, Detain 22 in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

June 25, 2008 - Coalition forces in Iraq killed 21 enemy fighters and detained 22 terrorism suspects in recent Iraq operations, military officials said.
In operations today:

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed three enemy fighters who attacked them with small-arms fire. The soldiers, from the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, were part of a convoy that stopped on the roadside near Baghdad International Airport when they were fired upon. The soldiers returned fire, which resulted in the attackers' vehicle running off the road and striking a wall. The vehicle then exploded. All three occupants were killed.

-- Coalition forces killed a man near Qayyarah after he refused to comply with instructions to surrender. Perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged and killed him, officials said. Coalition forces also detained five al-Qaida in Iraq suspects in central and northern Iraq. One admitted to being a part of the terrorist network, officials said.

-- Near Taji, coalition forces captured a wanted suspect identified by one of his associates as one of the most active and influential bombing cell leaders in the area. Another man in the target building suffered a heart attack during the operation and later died at a military medical facility.

-- In Mosul, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq networks.

-- Iraqi National Police and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized two weapons caches in the New Baghdad security district. The caches included mortar rounds and components needed to use them, anti-tank mines, roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, rocket-propelled grenades, propellants, guns and bomb-making materials.

In operations yesterday:

-- Coalition forces targeted two men believed to be connected with al-Qaida in Iraq bombing and financing operations. When the men failed to comply with signals to stop, including warning shots, coalition forces perceived hostile intent and fired shots to stop their vehicle, officials said. The vehicle caught fire and ignited rounds of ammunition inside that killed both occupants.

-- Northwest of Baghdad, coalition forces detained seven suspected terrorists, including a wanted man allegedly linked to an international financier who provides funding for al-Qaida in Iraq operations. In Baghdad, five suspected terrorists were detained for their alleged ties to the terrorist organization's propaganda network.

-- Two men injured themselves while attempting to launch a rocket attack on a Multinational Division Baghdad forward operating base from the New Baghdad security district of eastern Baghdad. Shortly after the rockets were launched, soldiers saw men aiding two cohorts who appeared to be severely injured from a round that apparently exploded while they attempted to launch a third rocket.

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, acting on a tip, found a truck with 11 rockets in its bed. Iraqi and coalition explosive ordnance personnel were notified of the loaded vehicle, and they determined the best way to dispose of it.

In June 23 operations:

-- Soldiers detained a suspected criminal in his home in the Hadar community and moved him to a combat outpost for questioning and processing.

-- A member of the local "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group turned in rocket-propelled-grenade launchers and 7.62 mm ammunition rounds to Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers at a combat outpost in the Aamel neighborhood.

-- Responding to a tip, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers conducted an operation and detained 14 people in the Jihad market area. The patrol returned to a combat outpost to question the suspects.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)